|
Reese’s and Pentecost—What Do They Have in Common?
Sunday, May 24, 2026, would have been H. B. Reese’s 147th birthday. Famous for creating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese (1879-1956) was once a dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey before founding his candy company in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1923.
I love Reese’s. How many people, things, or foods are recognizable by just one word? They’re great plain, in ice cream, cookies, or even frozen!
The combination of chocolate and peanut butter may seem an unusual pairing for Pentecost, yet it serves as a helpful metaphor for the Holy Spirit’s work in the church. What makes a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup so memorable? It is not just chocolate. It is not just peanut butter. It is the unique blend of two distinct flavors, each retaining its identity while coming together in one pleasing creation. Just as neither flavor overwhelms the other, Pentecost is about bringing people's differences together to create a richer, united whole.
Reese’s offers a modern illustration to understand Pentecost: two distinct ingredients, combined, become something superior to the sum of their parts, just as Pentecost unites diversity into one community.
In Acts 2, the disciples are gathered when suddenly the Holy Spirit rushes in like a mighty wind. Tongues of fire appear over their heads, and people from many nations hear the good news in their own languages. Pentecost was not about making everyone the same. It was about God bringing different people together into one beloved community. The miracle was not uniformity but unity.
On that day, Jerusalem gathered people from different languages, cultures, histories, and perspectives. Yet the Spirit did not erase those differences. Instead, the Spirit worked through them. God spoke to people where they were, in manners they could understand, and formed them into something new together.
The church still struggles with this today. We often assume that community only works when everyone agrees, thinks alike, votes alike, worships alike, or prefers the same lifestyle. Pentecost reminds us that God’s Spirit has always been in the business of bringing together people who could otherwise remain apart.
Like chocolate and peanut butter in a Reese’s, our differences need not divide us; instead, they can be combined by the Holy Spirit into something better. Some in the church are quiet and reflective. Others are energetic and outspoken. Some are lifelong members, firmly established in tradition; others are newcomers, asking fresh questions. Some carry stories of grief and hardship. Others bring joy, creativity, and hope. Pentecost teaches that the Holy Spirit blends our unique lives into one body of Christ, much as different flavors combine into one unforgettable treat.
That does not mean the process is always easy. Anyone who has ever melted chocolate knows it requires heat to blend ingredients. Pentecost itself arrives with wind and fire, symbols of energy and transformation. The Spirit stretches us past our comfort zones and calls us to see one another not as competitors or strangers but as beloved children of God.
Perhaps that is why Pentecost matters so much today. We live inside a world increasingly divided by politics, fear, ideology, race, economics, and even religion. Communities fracture easily, and people retreat into separate corners. Yet the Spirit continues to whisper the ancient Pentecost promise: different people can belong to one another.
Remember, God is still building a precious community.
Possibly the next time you unwrap a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, you can remember Pentecost—not just for the treat, but for what it represents: two different things, when combined, create something wonderfully unexpected, just as the Holy Spirit brings unity out of diversity.
And maybe that is exactly what the Holy Spirit hopes to do for us.
We invite you to join us for worship this Sunday at 10:30 AM, either in person or on Facebook Live. Come experience Pentecost together—and enjoy a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup as we celebrate unity. We look forward to greeting you and hearing how you’re doing.
You are welcome here.
Peace+
Pastor Eric
| 
